Public Speaking

The purpose of this unit is to have students prepare a 3-5 minute persuasive speech, to be presented to the class. Students will select a topic, research it in appropriate sources, document those sources properly, develop a speech outline, and present their talk.


Public speaking "handout":

FAQ:

1. How am I being marked?
Great question! You will be marked on the following rubric (which we will go over in class):

2. May I write out my whole speech?
No. Absolutely NOT. No. Don't ask.
You may bring your outline up with you, which should be completely in POINT FORM. Be sure to have it ready to hand in after the fact, along with your correctly-formatted Works Cited page (in MLA format).

3. Do I really have to do an outline?
Yes, because it's worth 25% of the mark for this assignment (20 marks out of a total of 80)
4. Is there some sort of graphic organiser I can use for my outline?
Yes, there are several kinds. One simple one can be found here:

5. How do I properly organize a "Works Cited page in MLA format"?
The basic steps are these
  • As you research, write down all of the sources that you find which contain ideas that will end up in your speech
  • Make sure you have the right information for each source (check out this handout for what to jot down):
  • Put all the works you have used ideas from on one page, titled "WORKS CITED"
  • List all the works in alphabetical order by author
  • BE SURE THAT YOU FORMAT THE INFORMATION CORRECTLY. ("How to" is all on the "sources page for research," above.)
  • Remember that using wikipedia as a source will result in a 25% penalty on the whole assignment!!!!

  • Here are two examples of Works Cited pages. One good one, and one REALLY lousy one.


6. Why is using Wikipedia as a source so wrong?
Anyone can go onto Wikipedia and change the information they find there. Stephen Colbert once changed his entry, adding something ridiculous like, "Colbert loves to ride unicorns," while he was on the air! There is no guarantee that wikipedia information is true!
You can use Wikipedia as a place to start looking for sources (there are often links to good sources at the bottom of their articles), but DON'T USE IDEAS FOUND IN THE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE ITSELF! In fact, it is better NOT TO EVEN READ the article--just skip to the bottom and look for good sources.
7. How many sources do I need to have?
At least three. Be sure they are reliable ones! Check for bias, timeliness, authority, etc. At least ONE source should NOT be an online source (most of you need to practice how to find information in books, newspapers, magazines, encyclopaedias or from other sources, such as interviews.


Summary of project/task:
  • Choose a school-appropriate topic
  • Investigate and select timely, authoritative sources
  • Record source information as investigation continues
  • Create speech outline
  • Create Works Cited page
  • Practice speech (not memorize...practice!)
  • Deliver speech and hand in outline and Works Cited page

Speech performance: 50 marks
Speech outline: 20 marks
Speech bibliography (Works Cited): 10 marks

Total: 80 marks.